Halfway through the pilot program of Cricket Fiji’s inaugural Women’s Island Cricket Project, medical screening results are already showing signs of improvement in the participants’ health.
At the ten-week mark of the 20-week program, which is designed to use cricket to help spread awareness about the factors that contribute to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), 46 women from the Dravo area have regularly attended sessions to have their screening done at two-week intervals. The results show that since the start of the program 13.1% of participants have lost weight, 26.1% have reduced their blood pressure, 28.3% have decreased their waist circumference, and 34.8% have lowered their blood glucose levels.
Cricket Fiji’s Projects Officer, Kalesi Mele, said she was pleased with the improvements shown in the women’s health so far.
“We are hoping for even greater improvements by the end of the program,” she added, “and that the women will be motivated to maintain a healthy lifestyle after it’s conclusion.”
The inaugural running of the project, including medical screening, cricket workshops and other information sessions will continue until the program wraps up in mid-April. With the results already showing the program to be a success, Cricket Fiji hopes to replicate the program for women of subsequent villages later in the year.
CRICKET FIJI